The Swedish settlers who called this area home were pretty ticked in 1887
when President Cleveland established the forest reserve that would later
become Olympic National Park. With their dreams of a railroad line, industry
and growth vetoed, they had to pack up their cattle and move to Seattle. But
Grover had a vision. He wanted to retain a part of the U.S. where motorcycles
could roam free in perpetuity, unhindered by traffic and development. This DH
is his legacy. Winding inland from the coast, along the Hoko and Big Rivers,
this remote dead-ender tempts riders with consistent Twistiness, above average
Engineering and the northwestern-most pub in the contiguous US. With almost
all of the route outside the park boundary, the unprotected second and third
growth forest is shaved completely bare in spots. Unfortunately, so’s the
Pavement. As your rear tire slides through a corner worn shiny by logging
trucks, you’d be forgiven for thinking this road hasn’t seen fresh asphalt —
or been swept of gravel and wood chips — since its original construction in
1926. But as long as you pick the right lean and the right line, you’ll be
hailing the former chief by the shores of Ozette Lake. As they say in Sweden,
keep your gummi side down.